


Southern Sins

by WickedMusic96



Category: Ghostbusters (Comics), Ghostbusters (Movies 1984-1989)
Genre: And Carnivale, Based on a moodboard, Gen, Possession, Southern Gothic, That was also based on me listening to Hozier a lot, angsty
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-25
Updated: 2019-07-20
Packaged: 2020-03-17 10:05:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,340
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18963055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WickedMusic96/pseuds/WickedMusic96
Summary: Dark eyes and darker nights call to one of the Ghostbusters. 'Come down and find your soul' the voice said. Will there be anything left to save or will he give in to true sin?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [morganskye](https://archiveofourown.org/users/morganskye/gifts), [TheMusicalCC](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheMusicalCC/gifts).



“Come on, Ray, give it up! Peck’s basically abandoned us, and we can just work like we did when we started out the business! We don’t need him for Ghostbusting.”

 

“No, but we need him to keep our licenses intact, and our grants. He’s head of the business, Peter. We need him for more than just bossing us around.”

 

Ray went back to the papers he had been searching, and the photos taken of the inside of Peck’s office. It had been 4 weeks since Walter Peck had strangely disappeared from PCOC, and Gloria had only told them that she hadn’t heard from him since then. No calls, no letters, not even a single email telling them to get back to whatever they had been doing if they were slacking off. It was eerie to not know where the man had disappeared to, and they were half wondering if he had been called to a long meeting out of state and had just forgotten to tell them, or if he had been kidnapped from under their noses. Egon looked into scanning his office twice, to see if there was anything that could be picked up for supernatural activity, but nothing showed up on the PKE meters whenever he did. Winston and Janine contacted any sort of law officials, mayors, governors, anyone who was listed in Peck’s address book that might be able to help them, or at least try and call him. 

Searching his apartment was proving to be pointless as well. Aside from the untouched leftovers in his fridge that they had to throw out when they had started to spoil, there was no sign of disturbance. His closet was still filled with all his dress clothing and casual wear, and his travel suitcases remained in the back of them, gathering dust and cobwebs. His bed was neatly made still, and there wasn’t anything that showed signs of previous usage. It was like he had never been there to begin with. 

“I’m telling you, Peck isn’t going to come back. He saw one too many cases that we went on, and he decided to flee town.”

 

“Peter, think rationally for a second. Why would Peck flee town, and not take any sort of belongings with him, or notify his secretary that he was leaving? Even if he kept it secret from us, he would have told  _ someone  _ that he was going on a trip.”

“Besides,” piped up Janine “Peck would have at least taken a clean set of clothes, and any sort of hygiene products along with him if he was going on a trip. The man is too high maintenance to wear the same outfit twice in the same day. He won’t even wear the same tie in the same week. And it’s the week before spring break is to start. He would have at least notified us if he was taking the time off, much less almost a month!”

 

Peter rolled his eyes at the statement, and leaned back against the wall. “Whatever. Even if he does come back, all he’s going to do is bitch and moan about the paperwork. It’s better off that we at least try and get our – “

He was cut off by the harsh ringing of Janine’s phone, and she put a hand up so she could take the call. “Ghostbusters. You got the ghost, we’ll make them-…” In an instant, her demeanor had changed. Her face lost color, and Janine’s hands had begun to shake as she held the phone. Her eyes had widened as she listened to whoever was on the other line, drawing attention from the four Ghostbusters.

“…J-Just…Can I put you on speaker phone?” The others crowded around the desk, staring at the machine as she hit the button, hand now covering her mouth. The phone was silent for a minute. 

 

“ _...Hello? Miss Melnitz, are you still there? _ ”

 

It was the unusually calm voice of Walter Peck over the phone. As if he hadn’t even left his office and was just asking for a report of the work thus far.

 

The others were in stunned shock until he had asked again. “Yes, I’m here. So is Peter, Ray, Egon, and Winston. We-”   
  
“Where the hell were you, Pecker?!” rang the angry snark of Peter. “You know how much paperwork we’ve had to work on since you left town?! Why the hell didn’t you say you were quitting or going on vacation or something? Would have saved us the hassle!”

 

There was more radio silence and static, and everyone stared at the device, waiting to see what Peck could possibly answer with. What they got was a laugh that made their blood run cold. “ _Always the same, Mr. Venkman. See, I was only expecting to be gone for a short amount of time. A surprise business trip sprung on me. It’s down in this little town called Briar Hill, down in Louisiana near Shreveport. And I want all of you to come down. We’ve got lots to discuss, so come quickly._ ”

 

With that, the line clicked off. 

 

The others didn’t know what all to say, staring at the phone like it would suddenly come out and bite them one by one. 

 

Peter was the one to finally break the silence. “....I say we go find him and knock some sense into him.” 

 

“How? He sounded way too...calm to be just telling us to get together with him. This doesn’t sound like the Peck we know.”

“Eh,” Peter shrugged at Janine. “Maybe he got laid, or managed to sleep. Either way, we can just drag him back home and scan over him to make sure he’s still there. Right, Iggy?”

 

Egon had glanced up, still staring at the phone, moving the PKE meter over the receiver. “Exactly. If he is possessed, we have more than enough ways of scanning and making sure that he’d be back to normal. If he’s not, then we can check to see if he’s had a mental breakdown to the point where it altered his personality. Those cases are rare, but can happen in individuals under extreme stress.” 

 

Ray immediately stood. “Then let’s get the stuff loaded into the car. We can at the very least make sure that Peck’s...somewhat normal. We do need him back if we want to keep the grants we’ve got, and I’m pretty sure his secretary would think we killed him if we simply didn’t look. She’s fond of that man.”   
  
“Can’t imagine  _ why _ .” Peter snarked back, going with Winston to pick up the needed equipment. 

  
  


“I think I’ll sit this one out here, guys.” Janine blurted out, still staring somewhat dumbstruck at the phone.   
  
There was a brief pause from everyone else. “...Why?” Winston asked, moving closer to the desk. Janine looked up at the man and shivered, pulling her arms around herself as she turned back to the phone, her complexion slowly gaining color back to it. 

 

“That wasn’t Walter Peck. I mean, it was him… but it  _ wasn’t _ . He’s never that calm when Peter interrupts him. He would have flown right off the handle. He was...He was too relaxed. He laughed like you and him were old friends, and he’s never done that when you make a quip, even if it makes all of us snicker. Whoever that was talking on the phone, it sure as hell wasn’t our boss.” 

 

She straightened up a bit and picked up the phone from its cradle, starting to dial. 

 

“That and in the event that someone needs to get things done here at home. Might as well be me. I’ll call up Kylie, and Mel. Get Gloria over too, since she was the last person who would have seen Peck in the flesh.”

 

The others nodded at the idea, and went to get suited up. They knew it would be a long journey ahead of them, and there were too many questions still fresh in their minds. 

  
  



	2. Chapter 2

With the things in the back of Ecto, the Ghostbusters set out to Briar Hill. They hadn’t been able to call Peck back to notify that they were dropping by, but since the number came up unlisted, there wasn’t much of a reason to try and call him back. After half a day of driving, they stopped at one of the small motels by the side of the roads. 

 

“Wonder why he would up and leave like that?” pondered Ray as they got settled into the small room. “It doesn’t make a lot of sense. How would he have made it to Louisiana? He’s not the type to hitchhike. It’s another 12 hours before we get down there from where we are. It doesn’t add up.”   
  
“Well,” Peter murmured as he raided through the small fridge, disappointed to only find coke cans and water bottles,selecting the soda and popping the top. “Maybe...he tried to get here on foot, died, and the phone caller was an imposter.”

 

Ray stared at him quizzically, frowning. “No. Cause that was his voice. He’s pretty distinct. Plus he knew Janine’s name. That can’t be right.”   
  
“Then he probably hitchhiked, Ray.” 

 

The other man sighed, and resigned himself to look over the map of the locations. So far nothing seemed to look odd in the scenery, though the men were still very unfamiliar with their surroundings. 

 

“So, if we leave early enough, I think we should be able to make it to the town by at least dinner or dusk.”   
  
“You’re shitting me. You want to power through 12 hour driving?! This isn’t the Queen of England or the Mayor we’re saving. It’s Walter Peck.”   
  
“Regardless, Peter, he’s our boss and if he is possessed, we don’t want whatever is inside his head to be festering too long. You know what happens when they do that. Remember Janosz?”   
  
Winston whistled lowly. “Poor guy had his brain scrambled for good after that. No matter how Peck is to us, that’s not a fate I think anyone should suffer since they don’t choose to be possessed, Pete.” 

 

Peter sighed, and flopped down on the bed. There was no way he would argue with that sort of logic, and figured that Peck would chew them out regardless, possessed or not. 

 

“Well, then, if we’re getting up at the asscrack of dawn, might want to get some sleep. How’s that sound to everyone?”   
  
The others agreed, and soon they all fell asleep, worried for what lie in Briar Hill, and what challenges they would surely face. 

  
  


By the time 6 am rolled around, they were already on the road and heading down. Half the time they were passing places that seemed to appear on the maps, and then the next town wasn’t included. 

 

“Must all be ghost towns.” Winston remarked, not really a question, but not really an affirmative statement.

 

“Well, ghost towns usually contain what we specialize in, but if we stop again for any reason that’s not a bathroom break or food, we’ll get more sidetracked, and Peck will be too far gone.”

 

They murmured in agreement, and continued on. By the time it was 7 pm, they had arrived in Briar Hill.

 

“...Ray? You sure this is the place? Looks like we traveled back into 1936. Did we make a wrong turn somehow in time?” 

 

“Positive Peter...also I don’t think Ecto is rigged up like the Delorean from that movie.” 

 

Peter rolled his eyes, and looked out the side of the window. It was distinctly Louisiana, with Spanish moss trees that clustered everywhere, a few cemeteries here and there, and signs boasting a variety of southern food and church paraphernalia. There was a lush greenery that the guys hadn’t usually seen in New York, and it was feeling very foreign, despite them not even leaving the country. 

 

“Let’s hurry this up. I don’t want to have to stay here any more than we already are. This place is...too airy to me.” 

 

The guys rolled their eyes, but finally pulled into the town of Briar Hill. They found a spot near the town hall, and looked around the area. 

 

“Where did Peck say he was at? Business meeting right?” Winston asked, unbuckling. “How come there aren’t any government cars around here? If he’s meeting with someone, the town hall is the most likely place, right?”

 

Egon nodded, taking out the PKE meter, and starting it up. “That would be the first place to look for Peck. Venkman? You go with Ray and search the town. Winston and I will look here. We can meet up by Ecto if we find anything.” 

They set out to search the building, and Peter and Ray started to walk through the small town. It wasn’t quite abandoned by time; more just stuck in an era. There were old town shops and diners that lined part of the streets, with some old model cars parked near them. None of them looked like any sort of car that Peck would have been caught driving, much less one that would have taken him around for a business meeting. Some of the people walking around took a few cautionary glances to them, but most of them seemed to walk with their heads turned in another direction.

 

“Ray...I don’t think Peck would be here. I don’t care what the phone message said. He wouldn’t be in a town like this. I mean, think about it for a second: Why would our boss, the world’s biggest stick in the mud, who’s also got that same stick wedged up his ass, be in the middle of who knows where, in a town that looks like it missed most of the modern era?” 

 

“I don’t know, Peter. That’s why we’re here, remember? We don’t know why Peck would be in this area, and for all intents and purposes, he might’ve been kidnapped. He wouldn’t be here willingly. All signs point to abduction of some kind, and he’s most likely possessed by something. That’s where we come in.” 

 

Peter sighed and shrugged his shoulders, and they wandered aimlessly until they found a small diner to rest in, one across the street from an old church. After some odd looks from the locals in the place, they were seated, and given some waters from a waitress who acted like she would have rather served dirt than any newcomers in the area.

 

“I’m sure Iggy and Winston won’t be too much longer. We can have a quick bite and then see where they ended up, and if they managed to find the Old Ginger Hardass himself.” 

  
  


Ray sort of nodded, half paying attention to the po’boy he and Peter had decided to split. He gazed absentmindedly out the window of the diner at the people who were passing by. Women in 50’s style dresses and clothing, men in suits despite the weather. There didn’t seem to be anyone in more modern clothing or style in sight. Ray was about ready to pay the check when the waitress had put the bill on their table, when something caught his eye. 

 

Or rather,  _ someone _ . 

 

“Oh my god! Peter, look! Look to your left! Do you see that guy?”

 

Peter blinked at Ray slowly. “...Ray, there are several guys on the street. They all dress weird. We’ve covered this.”

 

“No, no, by the church! The priest! I think that’s Peck!”

 

Peter turned his head to where the other man was frantically pointing, and his eyes widened in shock. Sure enough, there was Walter Peck, in a full black cassock and collar, clean shaven, smiling and shaking hands with people who had just exited the church. If not for the bright red hair and familiar voice, which they could hear somewhat through the diner, Peter would have missed him entirely. 

 

“Sonovabitch. So he decided to leave his job entirely and become a priest in nowheresville? That doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, even for Peck.”

 

“I know. We have to talk to him, see what’s up. I would say try and scan him, but I think Spengs took the PKE Meter with him. We’ll have to find them in town and tell them we found him.” 

 

They threw their payment on the diner table, and sped out the door, hoping to catch Peck before he vanished into the air again. “Walter Peck! What the hell is going on?! You’d better have a good explanation for why you took off and left for over a month!” 

 

The man turned slowly, the strange sort of smile never leaving his lips, and Peter had wondered for a moment if they hadn’t found Peck after all. The person in front of them looked like Peck, only his eyes were much lighter, and more glossed over. He seemed to be staring at them in a weird way, like there was a joke that one of them said that he was still processing. It wasn’t until he spoke that Ray and Peter went pale, and knew it was Peck alright.

 

“Why, Mr. Venkman! Dr. Stantz! How wonderful to see you here in Briar Hill. I see that you got my message alright. Tell me, it wasn’t too hard to find this little town was it?” 

 

The two Ghostbusters turned to the other, panic starting to set in. “Uh...No, Peck, it wasn’t hard at all. Do...do you mind telling us why you’re a priest now? You didn’t-”

 

“You never struck us as someone all that holy. Especially with the horns you definitely have under your scalp.”

 

There was another short pause, but this one was followed by a chuckle that made even Peter shiver. “Always one with the jokes, Mr. Venkman. Something that you should admire to be able to do on the fly. Tell me, did you bring others with you to our little town?”

 

Peter gaped a little. The man hadn’t screamed at him for what he said. In fact, he sort of avoided the question altogether. “...Y-Yeah, Egon and Winston.”

 

“No Ms. Melnitz? That’s a shame. Well, I guess someone would have to man the fort at New York then, hmm?” Peck chuckled, shaking hands with another church goer. “Well, you must have everyone get together at the church tonight. I’ll give you all a grand tour of the town after my sermon.” 

 

They didn’t know what to say. On the one hand, they couldn’t just grab him in the middle of the street. They had no way to test if he was really possessed, hypnotized, or if he’d just completely cracked and this was genuine. They would have to wait for Egon and Winston to arrive again, and then make a plan. 

 

“...Sure, Peck. We’ll uh...we’d like that.” 

 

Peck’s smile got wider, and yet the calm behind his eyes hadn’t changed. “Excellent! The sermon ends at 7:30. Feel free to get some food before it starts at 6:30, and then get ready to see the best of this little place.”  With that, he turned and walked back into the church without so much as another word. 

 

Only when the doors to the church shut did Ray break the silence. “Okay...he’s definitely possessed. And we need to be able to get him alone so we can get whatever’s in his head  _ out _ of his head and into a trap. Sound good?”

 

“Sounds good to me. The only problem would be how we could get him alone...this place seems like it’s got eyes and ears everywhere.” 

 

As soon as the words left his lips, the both of them turned away from the church. Sure enough, a handful of people had stopped to stare at them, and then acted like they hadn’t been, making themselves look busy while an air of dislike permeated in the square.

 

“..I  _ really _ want to find Egon and Winston…”   
  
“Yeah…”   
  
They turned on their heels and headed straight for where their partners went off to. At least, where they  _ hoped _ they had gone to.

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Credit to both Morganskye and TheMusicalCC for edits and checking over the story to make sure everything is sound! Love you both!


End file.
